


The Assistant

by MelodramaticMrTails



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Blow Jobs, Casual Enemies, Casual Sex, Cunnilingus, Domestic, F/M, Fights, Flirting, Lipstick & Lip Gloss, Minor Injuries, Strip Tease
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-06
Updated: 2012-06-06
Packaged: 2017-11-07 01:00:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/425201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelodramaticMrTails/pseuds/MelodramaticMrTails
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five times Sebastian and Anthea brushed paths and one time, they made something of it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Assistant

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bigbluepudding](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigbluepudding/gifts), [hangsondoong](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hangsondoong/gifts).



1\. The Bosses

Sebastian was wary of allowing Jim anywhere near Mycroft Holmes. The Holmes, in general, were dangerous to his boss' health, but Mycroft was nearly twice so. It wasn't because he was smarter than his brother or even the fact that he might be bitter about what Jim was doing to his brother; it was because Mycroft Holmes was cold. He wouldn't hesitate, he wouldn't flinch, and if Jim stepped too far, Mycroft would kill him. Sebastian wished Jim would have at least suggested they meet somewhere where they would have control of the situation if it got out of hand but no, Jim had to do it in Mycroft's office. It was 'more personal' this way, Jim said. 'It'll strike a cord' Jim said. 'Stay out here while Daddy works' Jim said. 'You will get shot in the face, you insane little man', Sebastian thought loudly.

He knew better than to ignore an order from Jim, though. Sebastian had no choice but to wait outside the massive double oak doors and painfully listen for any sign that his insane little man would need his help. It was nearly impossible to hear anything through the solid walls, however, which only managed to make him even more worried.

"Have a seat." At first, Sebastian was almost positive he was hearing things. People didn't just sneak up on Sebastian Moran especially without being heard first. A quick peek over his shoulder assured him that that was exactly what she had done. The thin woman watched her phone intently and didn't offer him the faintest of looks. The wooden floors creaked even when Jim stepped across them and his boss was as light as she was and probably even more light-footed, when he chose to be, of course. He glanced down to her feet, half expecting her to be barefoot. She wasn't. She was in  _heels_. Possibly made of fucking pillows.

"Have a seat," she said again, still not looking anywhere near him. Whatever she was doing on her phone had to be pretty important. She motioned to the little row of chairs with one hand though.

"No thank you," Sebastian answered more or less curtly. She looked away from her phone, finally, and stared at him with deep, dark chocolate fondue eyes. A delicate brow arched in a very feminine fashion. Despite her quiet stepping, she was thin and pretty and Sebastian wasn't worried about her.

"I wasn't asking you, sir. Have a seat," the young woman commanded again, far more forceful this time. Compared to what Jim would do if he missed his cue, she was still suggesting. Her eyes returned to the tiny screen. He was already nervous enough about this situation and he didn't need Holmes' snobby little assistant bothering him. He wouldn't hurt her, of course, Mycroft probably wouldn't take too kindly to that no matter who she was, but it was easy enough to get her to leave him alone. He was quick to draw his weapon and turn, aiming point blank at the dainty woman.

"I said no," Sebastian scoffed irritatedly. He caught her attention again. This time she closed her phone and tucked it inside of her shirt, between her perky breasts where Sebastian had to guess was the only pocket on her tiny outfit. She didn't stare down the barrel, but rather past it, past his sight, and at his face. She might have been looking him in the eye but he was too distracted to notice if she was. He turned his head back to the door to continue listening.

"Sir. Either use that, or put it away," the lithe assistant deadpanned fearlessly. Sebastian turned back to her once again.

"What?" he responded threateningly. She took a quiet step forward, Sebastian listened for the audible click of her heels this time. Then another, and another, until she stood a hair's breath from the barrel. Sebastian would have been impressed if he wasn't so agitated by the situation. He focused on her, attempting to size her up again. He could see the green flakes around the rim of her irises.

"I will have to subdue you now." The statement was so out of place and unbelievable that Sebastian almost snorted a laugh. She was tiny and fast and a lot stronger than she looked. As a rule, he never underestimated people, but even if he had overestimated her, he would have been way off. She snagged his arm swiftly at the wrist and only averted his arm seconds before he pulled the trigger. The bullet lodged somewhere in the ceiling and she was on him as if she was a snake in human skin.

"Shit!" Her arm was around his throat, her soft skin contrasted against the blonde stubble around his neck and throat, and her leg hooked his shoulder, locking his arm up and preventing him from aiming at her. Then she was squeezing. He used his free arm to try and force her off, but she held fast and her manicured nails dug into his skin. When things began to fade around the edges, he faked unconsciousness.

She didn't let go. Even when he fell, throwing most of her weight onto her smaller form, she didn't budge. Sebastian had to guess she had let go after he really did pass out. He wasn't out for long; unfortunately, being choked wasn't unusual for him. When he gathered his senses again, he mentally scolded himself for allowing her to take the advantage. She worked for bloody Mycroft Holmes, of course she was dangerous. He quickly discovered she had posed him in one of the chairs and tied his wrist to the arm rest. She also seem to have put his gun back into his pants. His binds weren't tight and Sebastian knew he could easily escape, but he didn't.

She sat behind her little desk, eyes back on her phone, and back to ignoring him. She was good.

"What's your name?" Sebastian scoffed, swiftly clearing his throat to soften his hoarse voice. She gave him the smallest of glances.

"Uh. Anthea." 'Anthea' answered as if that weren't her name. It probably wasn't. Sebastian snorted.

2\. The Pets

The second time Sebastian ran into Anthea was in a high-priced pet shop in the fancy part of London. Moriarty held particularly mixed feelings for their cat, but regardless, the tiger striped creature had to have the best food and Sebastian was always the one to have to fetch it. He was surprised to see her hovering in the aisle with all the dog toys. Not surprised to see her concentrated on her phone.

"Mornin'," he greeted gruffly, throwing the bag of food onto his shoulder and facing the familiar slender form. Anthea graced him with a brush of the eyes, as if only to make sure his voice matched his face.

"Good morning, Mr. Moran," she greeted pleasantly back before returning her gaze to her mobile. Sebastian wondered absently what could possibly require all of her attention all the time.

"What are you doing in a pet store?" he questioned curiously. Anthea glanced up to the row of items she was standing in front of, then around to view the rest of the small store. It was clear she hadn't been aware of her location. She peered at him and he called her lie before she thought it up.

"Secret business." She was obviously trying to sell her lie with eye contact and it wouldn't work on Sebastian.

"You weren't watchin' where you were going, were you?" he chuckled at her.

"I was not," Anthea answered amusedly, but half heartedly as she returned to her phone and began her way out. Sebastian followed. That was a lie, too. She wasn't the kind to simply 'wander' into the wrong store. He would have guessed she had another set of eyes if he didn't know any better.

"You're following me," Sebastian offered up instead. It wouldn't be surprising but the thought that someone was watching him be domestic was a bit of a blow to the ego. Just because they were criminals didn't mean they didn't eat or appreciate nice things. Of course, there were also other people that Jim could get to do these things. He just liked to make Sebastian do it because it was more fun.

"You're smarter than you look, Mr. Moran," she complimented mildly. He was right then. Good to know.

"I don't suppose I get any details," he grunted. Anthea smiled but didn't look at him so it was impossible to tell if it was aimed at him. Sebastian cut her off, taking a sudden step to stand in front of her and he placed a hand on her mobile, blocking her view neatly. He got her vicious attention at once, dark eyes daring him to continue what he was doing.

"Remove your hand, sir," she stressed though her face offered no hint of her anger. Sebastian had learned his lesson, though. Anthea was nearly as deadly as he was and she was in pounce mode.

"You don't have to follow me. I'll tell you where I am and what I'm doing. You can't stop me," he assured her. Sometimes he startled himself with how much Jim rubbed off on him. She stared at him concretely, needing no words for him to know that if he didn't remove his hand from her device, he would most likely lose it in a very painful way. He did so and her expression softened just barely and the crooks of her mouth turn up into a patient smile. She wasn't a cold person by any means, Sebastian had just seen her smile so sweetly after all; she just seemed incredibly indifferent to everything.

"I don't have to give you my number, I'm sure," Sebastian scoffed. She smiled amusedly, but didn't answer.

"I'm sure Shere Khan loves you for this." Of course she knew the name of his cat.

3\. Coffee

"Medium iced chocolate cherry coffee with extra whip cream and caramel." The woman behind the counter called into the partially busy cafe and Sebastian awkwardly maneuvered around the shorter crowd to fetch the complex drink. When he reached out for it, he was met with a soft, warm hand instead of the plastic cold cup.

"I didn't think you would drink something so frilly," the familiar voice teased. Sebastian held her hand tight, meeting Anthea's amused eyes with a scowl.

"I don't," he answered indignantly as if the ink on his wrist weren't clear enough. It was and he knew she knew it wasn't for him. Jim would get the most random cravings when he worked. Or took drugs. Or was bored. Sebastian would have guessed he was pregnant all the time. In fact, there was no proof he wasn't. Most likely with the spawn of Satan.

"On more errands, then?"

"Unfortunately. Still stalking me?"

"Of course, but its my day off and this is my drink," she refused to let go and so did Sebastian. He didn't believe that it was her day off, mostly due to the phone in her other hand. Though he had her attention right now, he was sure it would all go back to the mobile the minute she got what she wanted.

"You ordered the same drink as Jim?" he questioned, unconvinced.

"He ordered the same drink as me," Anthea answered cockily. She struck his knuckles with the back of her phone lightly and Sebastian released the cup. He watched her stick a straw into the cup and happily drink before returning to her phone. The lady behind the bar placed another cup on the counter with the same contents. This was bad. Jim clearly knew he was fraternizing with the enemy. Sebastian wasn't sure if he was encouraging it or warning him. That was a stupid question. Encouraging, obviously, the little shit.

"Where are you headed now, then?"

"Hm? Oh. Back to work," Anthea mused back, just as skilled on her phone with one hand as she was with two. Her painted lips were nearly the same red color as the straw which rested on her bottom lip leisurely.

"Day off?" Sebastian reminded her. She laughed her response. His eyes were naturally drawn to her breast and the slight movement they made. She was very shapely, though that was no surprise with her strength in consideration. His mind wandered to the last time he'd been with a woman. Before he met Jim or the equivalent of 'too damn long'. Anthea glanced at him again and Sebastian didn't hide the fact that he'd been staring. Either she didn't notice or she was pretending not to.

"Need a ride? I go past your flat anyways." The young woman offered. She clearly wasn't afraid of him, even knowing who he was. Or perhaps she wasn't afraid  _because_  she knew who he was. That and she was more than capable of taking care of herself. Sebastian accepted.

It wasn't until he was in the car did it occur to him that he probably shouldn't allow himself so close to the enemy. He had always been a sucker for a pretty lady. Sebastian was straight, after all, and only Jim was the exception to that rule. Not that he was too concerned about his boss right now. It was hard to be when Anthea started to undress. Sebastian didn't bother with manners, watching her nimble fingers draw her shirt up over her head. Her waist flexed easily and gracefully and he was given a perfect view of her lace covered breasts, pressed firmly into the dainty bra. He was also given a great view of her gun, a semi-automatic Grandpower K100, and where it was tucked firmly into her waist-band, pressed into the curve of her hip and flat stomach. It was perfectly reasonably that that was stupidly sexy. She toed her shoes off and arched off the seats in the tinted window car to get her trousers off. She adjusted her gun to the cup of her bra and Sebastian shifted mildly as though it would hide his obvious interest.

Then she was dressing again, much to Sebastian's disappointment. Anthea drew her skirt up over her hips, hiding away her plush, voluptuous hips and the colorless, petite panties that matched her bra. She brought her leg up, resting it on the empty seat across from her and next to Sebastian and hiked her skirt up enough to strap a holster to her upper thigh of which she immediately filled with a thin, silver, jagged edge hunting knife. She covered it again and toed her heels back on.

Over her bra, Anthea pulled on a leather, light weight gun holster. Her weapon strapped into it where she would easily be able to reach for it later. Her white, collared, button up shirt went on over it. Adroit fingers buttoned up the little white buttons and she straightened out the collar and neck. She left a few undone and adjusted her breast with a smooth movement to give just the right amount of sight of her cleavage. Then she rolled up one sleeve and strapped a thin, lightweight switch blade to her wrist. She straightened out both sleeves and did up her cuffs. A small touch up on her makeup and a twist of her hair and she was finished. Anthea took up her phone again in one hand and her drink in the other and continued as if nothing had happened.

Sebastian wasn't sure what she was trying to accomplish, if anything, but he discovered that he couldn't care at the moment. Anthea could possibly be the most sexually attractive woman he had ever met.

"Here you are, Mr. Moran," Anthea assured him after a few more minutes of silence. She glanced up to him a little and he nodded curtly.

"Yeah. Thanks." He got out and the car drove off. Sebastian stood on the sidewalk, slightly dazed and wondering if a woman like Anthea could actually exist.

4\. Wounded

Sebastian didn't see Anthea again for almost a year, but that wasn't surprising. He wasn't actively trying to contact her, after all, even if he did occasionally hope she would use that stupid phone of hers to contact him. He didn't know what he wanted, exactly, but he wouldn't pretend he wanted nothing. When he came across Anthea again, she was face down in an empty warehouse.

Jim wanted to conduct business here and it was left to Sebastian to scope everything out and make sure Jim was untouchable and everything would go according to plan. Sebastian could plan everything to the tee and Jim could still make it more dangerous than it needed to be. His boss liked to not tell him things. However, Sebastian doubted his boss knew she would be here. He spotted her small form at once, then the blood pooling around her. When he approached her, however, she jerked upright and aimed her gun at him sharply and unwavering. They were enemies, after all.

"Mr. Moran," she greeted in a hoarse voice, her arm weakening with blood loss and throwing her aim off. Best to take her out while he could. Helping her wouldn't earn him anything and she'd die soon, anyways. Though she held the bullet wound tightly with one hand, it wouldn't be enough. By the looks of it, she had broken her knee and there was a trail of blood where she had dragged herself, most likely to get to her gun.

"Anthea," Sebastian grunted back. "Someone coming for you?"

"No," Anthea answered softly. She obviously had a lapse of judgement and it showed on her face as she closed her eyes with an irritated and resigned sigh.

"You shouldn't have told me that," the sniper murmured.

"No," she answered again. He looked around a little, spotting the remains of her mobile on the floor near where she'd originally been shot. That was useless now. He has to guess that Holmes would find her soon, but by then it could be too late. He kneeled down beside her and her brown eyes bored into him cautiously. She was still dangerous and Sebastian knew it. He removed her hand from the wound and she hesitantly allowed him. When he touched her gun, however, she swiftly aimed it at him more firmly. It wouldn't be the last time someone dangerous held a gun on him. With a bit of nudging, she let him help her change hands, switching the weapon into her bloody one. Anthea was ambidextrous, clearly, but appeared to be more awkward with her left hand. Sebastian unbuttoned her shirt and pushed it out of the way to view the hole in her side. It didn't appear to have hit anything important. He didn't have the right equipment on him to patch her up, unfortunately. Instead, he took his shirt off. Jim would be upset, this was a good shirt, but he would get over it.

Sebastian folded it over once and drew it around her hourglass waist. He used the sleeves to tie it firmly around the rushing wound, helping keep the small woman from bleeding out before someone could help her. He placed his phone within her reach and quietly took a few steps away.

"I'll have to go pick up some bleach," Sebastian murmured, only pretending it was to himself as he headed for the exit.

"Jim's not going to be happy I misplaced my mobile. At least he can track it," he continued absently, making the leaving walk slower than it needs to be. "Not that anyone can use it without the password. It's fortunate no one knows I have a cat. That would be embarrassing." Sebastian stopped near the entrance, glancing back to the dark eyes watching him suspiciously.

"And it would be troublesome if there were names on my phone when I found it again. Probably the names of people moving in on Jim's territory where they don't belong. Jim really doesn't like that." He waited patiently as Anthea continued to watch him. She was trying to tell if he was being sincere or not and whether she should trust him. Eventually, though, she reached out and wrapped her long, broken, manicured fingers around his phone. He heard her say something against the cold cement, but he wasn't sure what it was.

"Thank you, Mr. Moran," Anthea said a little louder, nodding smally in appreciation. Sebastian offered an insignificant smile and disappeared from sight. He watched the warehouse from a distance, making sure someone came for her. Sebastian watched Mycroft come along in person and minutes later, Anthea was carried out and taken away. Holmes appeared not much later and looked at him directly which wasn't a fete for the man, but was something that Sebastian didn't like, anyways. He wasn't sure if Mycroft could actually see him, but he knew his location exactly.

Mycroft nodded in his direction. Sebastian wasn't expecting any reciprocation, but the small gesture of gratitude was more than welcome. He didn't exactly have a choice, anyways. If he had let her die, Holmes would likely take it out on him.

A week later, Sebastian's things were returned. He would have preferred different circumstances, but he couldn't be picky. She appeared out of nowhere, where she usually appeared from, while he was being fitted for a new suit. Jim insisted. He was sure Jim was in on this and he wouldn't argue, though he had to wonder when Jim was so nice as to try and put him into situations with a pretty lady. The seamster left to fetch something or other and Anthea entered.

"You dress up nice," Anthea complemented with a friendly, teasing smile. He didn't have trousers on. Lovely.

"Thanks," Sebastian grunted back, hoping the man would return with his trousers but knowing he wouldn't before she left. It wasn't that big a deal, fortunately, and he wouldn't make it one. He'd just stand here like it was perfectly normal. He could see her examining the scars and tattoos on his bare legs.

"You didn't have to help me," Anthea murmured indifferently.

"And I didn't," Sebastian answered plainly. She made a small, amused noise. She placed his newly cleaned shirt and phone in one of the spare chairs.

"Are you okay?" he asked as if he weren't interested in the least. Anthea placed a hand on her side and he followed her movements. She was bandaged up, he could tell.

"Not that you're interested," She played along. "Just some stitches." Silence fell between them and Sebastian watched her and the small grace of a smile on her lips. Anthea knew he was curious as to how she got into said situation but he wouldn't ask.

"There was a mole. Our people are paid to spy. The mole paid better. I was unaware of the reach of his breach and confrontation went badly as you're aware of. The rest you can fill in," she informed with a grimace. Sebastian took his phone back into his own hand, checking the outside for any signs of tampering before opening it up. It didn't explode and the battery didn't look fishy so he deemed it safe. Jim had already gotten him a new one anyways, since he couldn't safely use this one without risking any sneaky business from her boss.

Sebastian examined it and found two computer files left on it. He peered at her over the little device but she had already returned to her own. He guessed she had saved most of her old one.

"They've already been taken care of," Holmes continued to prove to be a terrifying man when he wanted to be. "I know you didn't do anything, and you aren't expecting anything in return and Mycroft, or myself for that matter, cannot help you advance in all good will. However, he is more than happy to supply Mr. Moriarty with pictures of himself from the CCTV. Your boss is quite the show off. Don't get into the idea that they will be useful. They won't." Sebastian still wasn't completely sure how much Jim had to do with any of this, but he did love pictures of himself. There were ulterior motives, of course, most likely in the form of Holmes power playing.

"And the second?" Sebastian questioned.

"That's from me. Personally. I take it you'll be able to get it open," she assured him. He wasn't the best with computers, but he would manage. Anthea looked him over again, smirking in a way Sebastian could only describe as flirtatious.

"Goodbye, Mr. Moran."

Sebastian wasn't sure what he expected from her, but he found an address within the file. Some searching turned up that it wasn't hers but a building towards southern London. He checked it out first, of course, making sure it was safe and not a trap before picking up the package left there for him. It was small and inside, he found a box of his favorite cigarettes, a bottle of high shelved vodka and his dog tags. A few years ago Jim had dropped them in a lake in Russia. He hadn't been able to find them and the snow made it impossible to look for very long. It wasn't that bad of a loss for Sebastian but having then back brought back old memories, as well. He absently wondered how she had gotten them or knew where they were for that matter.

He would thank her the next time they met. Unfortunately, they met under less friendly circumstances.

5\. Combat

Jim had a habit of getting on everyone's bad side and Mycroft was no different. As usual, Sebastian was left out of most of the planning. He was told to abduct the DI and little more. It was relatively easy to do so. However, it proved to be far more difficult to keep him. Mycroft was serious about getting him back and Sebastian had to be worried about everyone and whether they were undercover agents. It took him two days to get detective inspector Lestrade back to their flat while he continued to spit and squirm angrily. Jim wouldn't let him drug the man, which meant Sebastian had to listen to him all night and day while Jim stayed in another one of his flats.

"Don't you ever fucking sleep! For fucks sake!" This was proving to be more of a hassle than originally thought.

"Yes. When I'm in my own bloody bed!" As the man continued to try and get away, Sebastian tried to focus on assembling his rifle, knowing he'll likely need it for the armies that would arrive. Sebastian was about to give them the DI back if he didn't shut up. How could one man be so noisy?

"You have no idea what you're getting yourself into. Let me go! Fuck! Bleedin' Holmes. They will find me. Then they will find you. If you don't untie me from this bleedin' chair!" He rocked and hopped and struggled and when he finally knocked himself over, it got worse.

"Fuck! Untie me, you bastard! Fuck!" Sebastian couldn't have been happier when Jim finally called and gave him permission, instruction actually, to punch the DI in the face. That shut him up for a whole three minutes. Then he went on complaining until Jim arrived at the flat. His boss giddily took a photo of the bruises with his camera phone and Lestrade nearly got a bite out of him. Sebastian was allowed to strike him again.

Finally, the DI was put in Jim's possession. Sebastian practically threw the man into the backseat and was glad to be rid of him. He wasted no time enjoying the silence, though, swifty taking his rifle and getting into position. Jim didn't tell him who the target was, he wasn't stupid enough to actually kill Mycroft Holmes, at least not in such a boring way, but it  _was_  Jim.

He set himself on the roof and direction Jim specified in great detail and was met with an empty room. Sebastian knew he didn't have it wrong, of course, there simply wasn't anyone there yet. He didn't have to wait very long. A group of people entered, Mycroft being among them, and he realized that Jim had clearly discovered one of their buildings. He was thinning the danger, then. However, they came and went with no instruction from Jim. Sebastian was really irritated with not being told anything.

Finally, Sebastian received a text.

_Shoot_ _her_ _._

He didn't have to wait long to find out who 'her' was. Anthea came scurrying into the room and immediately began to sort through papers in a desperate search for something. It was unfortunate, but Sebastian wouldn't ignore orders. She stopped moving and stood before the window with her mobile in her hands, clearly not having any luck on her wild goose chase. He set his sights on her and planned on making it quick work.

It wasn't.

"Shit!" Sebastian had never met a piece of glass that could stop him, even bullet proof glass wasn't enough to stop the pure force behind his rifle. Sometimes Sebastian suspected Jim had done something to his rifle. This time was clearly different. The window cracked and even warped a little, but it didn't break and it didn't give way to his aim. Anthea stared directly at him and before he could make a second shot and hopefully finish the job, she was running out the door.

Sebastian rushed to finish his job before Jim found out. This was hardly his fault. Jim should had warned him it was a protected building. He searched the building for any sight of her, but she was smart, she wouldn't leave out the front door and she wouldn't approach the windows. There was probably a hidden exit. He abandoned his position quickly and gambled to catch her on foot with his handgun. He dislodged his smaller weapon from his holster and dashed for the door. Before he could even make it through the door, he heard a gunshot and instantly ducked out of sight.

He was right, of course, she wouldn't use the door, but she would use the roof. Sebastian swung himself behind the structure hiding the stairs and decided that it was a terrible idea to leave his rifle all the way on the other side of the roof. He was also reminded that Anthea was ridiculously sexy when she shot his scope off. He could see her on the roof of the other building, the street below separating the two buildings with an eerie distance. They were too close and yet, too far. This fight would go nowhere and they both knew it, but as long as he made the first move, he would have the upper hand. Sebastian waited for her to go quiet before peeking around the corner. She was reloading. He hurried back across the rooftop, keeping low and taking his rifle up at once. However, when he went to aim at her using only his eyes, she'd completely disappeared.

_Is_ _it_ _done_ _?_

"Shit!" What was he suppose to say? No matter what he did now, he'd surely be blamed for this. Not answering was probably the worst bet, though. He sloppily returned the message.

 _Bullet_ _proof_ _glass_ _._ That bought him a whole of two minutes, approximately, while Jim put together the right words to show his frustration. Sebastian planned to have this finished by then. Sebastian's plans went out the window. Anthea struck him hard on the back of the head with the barrel of her gun, disorienting him hard enough and long enough to kick his rifle off the rooftop. He was impressed she got over here so quickly. Her silence made it difficult to locate her even up close.

"Stay down, sir," she commanded, holding her gun trained on him. Sebastian held his hands up a little. He would never actually give up, of course. She'd have to shoot him or Jim would. He caught a foot around one of her bare ankles and then they were rolling around on the gravely roof. She caught him several more times in the face, clearly trying to subdue him since he wouldn't give her the chance at a clean shot. He caught her long hair and heard something snap, but she continued to prove to be tougher than average. He finally managed to throw her Grandpower off the roof along with his rifle and Anthea gave him a rough kick to the stomach, giving herself room to roll onto her knees and from there to her feet. Sebastian picked himself up less gracefully, but just as efficiently.

Anthea's breathing was heavy and her shirt was torn, but she didn't look like she was any closer to calling the fight quits. One of them had to die. She took a few cautious steps back and pulled her hair into a bun. Sebastian stripped off his outer coat.

"Thanks for these back." He patted the metal tags around his neck. Anthea gave a small nod.

"Of course. Though I have to say, I happened across them by chance," she admitted, pulling her knife from under her skirt. Sebastian withdrew his own from his waistband, mimicking the small twirling motion.

"I happened across you by chance." He was still suspicious, but it was chance to him. She gave an amused smile that agreed with him.

"Got your breath back?" Sebastian murmured. She nodded gingerly.

"And you, Mr. Moran?" Anthea questioned back. He motioned her forward with his fingers and she sprang at him. He swiftly stepped back to meet her with imobile force. They clashed ferociously. Sebastian heard his mobile vibrate but was in no position to answer his boss at the moment. He landed a few good blows, but so did she. They separated again after losing their knives via stabbing; Sebastian had driven his into her weakened side and Anthea's was wedged just shy of his hip bone. He heard his mobile go off. Jim had obviously lost his temper and was now calling to yell at him. Anthea's followed suit.

"I should get that," she insisted, gently wiping a bit of blood from the cut on her collar bone.

"Me too," he assured her with a nod. Neither of them were stupid enough to remove their eyes from the fight, however. Anthea professionally answered her phone while Sebastian was met with yelling.

"What the fuck are you doing, Sebastian!" Jim yelled over the line.

"I'm taking care of Mr. Moran, sir." Anthea controlled her breathing as to not worry her employer.

"I told you to shoot the cunt! Don't make excuses!" Jim was being unreasonable as always.

"It's rather troublesome, sir." Anthea answered none too informantly.

"Take care of her now!" Jim didn't need to add the 'or else'.

"Yes sir." Anthea quietly placed her mobile back into her brassiere and Sebastian tucked his back into his back pocket. She jerked his knife out of her abdomen with a small, pained noise. He grunted as he removed her jagged blade from his hip.

"Are you okay?," she asked, putting pressure on the gouge with her free hand.

"Of course. Are you?" He bounced back, adjusting his weight on his hip. She nodded and they were at teeth again. Her weakened side gave him the advantage and he targeted it relentlessly until she crumpled. Sebastian caught the small moment of weakness and threw her petite form firmly against the floor. Anthea landed with an audible 'thud' and before she could recover, he had a knee on her back and a hand in her hair. Her jerked her head back, exposing her soft, supple throat and restricting her movement. Sebastian allowed them both a moment of rest, careful to only put enough pressure on her back to keep her down. Then he wiped the blade in his hand on his shoulder, using the ripped piece of shirt there to clean the blood off of it.

"Do I get to know your real name before you can't tell me?" Sebastian questioned as though they were old friends and he simply couldn't recall it. He watched her taut neck as she swallowed and was mildly disappointed nothing decent had managed to form. He never expected it to, all things considering, but he was a man and he couldn't help himself.

"Mycroft."

"What?" Surely she wasn't serious. There was no way she was Mycroft Holmes. Sebastian was right, of course. The man who hit him with the very hard handle of an umbrella was Mycroft.

_It_ _'_ _s_ _rather_ _troublesome_ _,_ _sir_ _._ _Shall_ _I_ _come_ _help_ _you_ _,_ _my_ _dear_ _?_ _Yes_ _sir_ _._

Sebastian should have realized that she was a good guy and therefore, would ask for help when necessary. Jim was going to have his head. Already worn out from his fight, Mycroft knocked him unconscious with two strikes. He struggled to stay conscious, but no matter how hard he tried, his sight fled into darkness.

When he awoke Sebastian discovered himself in a familiar bed with a familiar Jim at the end. He was back in the flat, then. His boss aimed the Grandpower K100 at his face and pulled the trigger. Sebastian didn't even flinch as the empty shot echoed around the room.

"I take it you're not mad at me, then," he translated. Jim sneered a little, but it was in no way angry. Surely if he had seen what went down on the roof, he would know that it was a difficult fight to win. Jim clearly expected him to, but he wasn't immortal and he wasn't indestructible. His wounds were bandaged and cleaned so things had obviously gone to plan.

"I told you to shoot her." The tiny man grumbled.

"I tried. You should have warned me that it was a government building." He would have been able to weaken the glass first and make the shoot much cleaner. It wouldn't have been any more difficult than fighting a little hell-fighter on the rooftop. Jim only growled at him. Sebastian translated it to 'you should have known that, stupid' because he was clearly a mind reader.

"You distracted the Iceman liked I wanted so it's fine." Fine was not a word Sebastian liked. The next couple weeks were going to be pure hell for him.

"I bet I could find her price," Jim murmured, mostly to himself. However, when he spoke to himself, he always spoke to Sebastian as well. That had been learned the hard way.

"I wouldn't count on it boss."

1\. Taste of Cherries

Sebastian brushed into Anthea again on indifferent terms only two weeks later. Jim had rushed off to Germany without him despite Sebastian insisting that he shouldn't go alone. The man was still pissy at him, but that didn't mean he needed to get himself maimed. He'd managed to convince his boss to at least bring some decent company. Anthea was on a vacation while she tended to her wounds. They were both in the hospital.

Like most of their meetings, this was purely on accident. She was sitting the waiting room and Sebastian was under a false alias. He spotted her at once and she was, like usual, entwined with her phone. He took the seat beside her, causing the plush couch to shift a little and her to look up at him. Anthea smiled.

"Morning, Mr. Moran." There was no reason to attack each other in the calm setting. Even though Jim had practically busted him out of custody, Mycroft was aware of the locations of all of Jim's flats. He wouldn't move on them unless he was sure Jim didn't have anything up his sleeve.

"Mornin' Anthea," Sebastian pleasantly answered. "You got me pretty good. Have a bit of nerve damage in my leg now." He chuckled light heartedly. The smile didn't leave her face.

"You, too. Internal bleeding. I went into shock after you got knocked out," Anthea assured him. Sebastian met her smile with a small crook of his lips.

"So, what are you doing after this?"

"Are you asking me to another knife fight?" she teased and though her eyes were on her mobile, Sebastian knew he had her attention.

"God no." He grunted. "You'd probably win this time."

"I won last time," she reminded him with a chuckle.

"By a hair's breath," Sebastian scoffed. "I was thinking coffee."

"I think I'll have time," Anthea assured him. After they were both taken care of, they quietly walked the short distance to the coffee shop. He quickly discovered that the 'snap' he'd heard in their fight had been her shoulder dislocating. Sebastian was surprised she'd managed to finish the fight like that, though a quick recall made him wonder if she had used him to jam it back into place. They were a relatively quiet pair, that would be blamed on both of their need to not give away any secrets by mistake. Sebastian was okay with that and Anthea busied herself with her phone.

She never looked up to watch where she was going but she was never any worse for it. She gracefully avoided hazards with little more than an eerily silent step. Sebastian held the door open for her and Anthea smiled red lips at him. He paid for their drinks, a plain black coffee and a chocolate iced something something majigger. That was a lot of words for a drink. She put her phone away and Sebastian feigned disbelief.

"It must be broken," he teased, holding the door open for them again when they left.

"Not at all," Anthea answered playfully enough. He secured them a bench by knocking a group of brats off of it and scaring them away. Her dainty form sat beside him with all the graces of a woman; one ankle across the other, her body slightly curved toward him at the waist, and her arms tucked under her breast as she held the plastic cup in one hand and the straw in the other

Sebastian took up the rest of the bench, much less gracefully; knees apart, one arm stretched across the back of the cool wood, and the other holding his paper cup by the lip between his fingers. Her bare, delicate knees rested against his.

Sebastian decided he needed to stop letting Jim rub off on him. Women were lovely creatures, some of them at least, and Anthea was smart and strong and as far as he knew, she wasn't batshit crazy. He had a habit of attracted crazy women that were even more irrational than Jim (but less dangerous) and younger women who liked 'bad boys' and liked to try and 'fix him'. That was all before he met Jim, of course. Jim was incredibly possessive and he didn't exactly have time to pursue a relationship. Sebastian had never been one for a relationship anyways.

"Cigarette?" he offered politely.

"Love one." On the other hand, maybe it was just conventional relationships he didn't like. She placed the filter between her painted lips and leaned towards him a little to allow him to light it. He followed up with his own and quietly enjoyed the comfortably cool day with his feminine company. After he put out his cigarette, at least ten minutes he guessed, he adjusted his eyes to watch her again, following every curve of her body. Anthea glanced at him.

"Wanna go back to my place?" Sebastian offered.

"That sounds like an awful idea," she answered indifferently.

"Yeah. It is, actually. I don't know why I suggested it." Because his dick was getting impatient, was not an appropriate response he decided.

"The Mint is around the corner," Anthea suggested, putting out her own cigarette under her heel.

"I hear it's nice," he murmured casually.

"It is." She picked herself up, brushed off her bottom and straightened her skirt, then she was walking away. Sebastian followed. She had her phone in her hand again and a few minutes later, he discovered what she was doing: booking a room.

Anthea trudged into the hotel and they weren't bothered. Sebastian was never bothered, of course, he was too big and his friend too important. The lift was too slow and Sebastian failed to keep his hands to himself. He placed a hand on her lower back and brushed it down to her full bottom, giving a small grope. He saw her smile.

Anthea led him down the hall, the door to the room already open and ready. The moment she stepped in, she turned to face him, taking a few steps back with a seductive smile. Sebastian hastily kicked the door closed and grabbed her about the waist, easily lifting her tiny body off of the floor and carrying her to the nearest surface; the bar top. He set her on the marble top, knocking aside the decorative bowl in the process. Anthea parted her thin legs and supported herself on her hands, beckoning to him with a small wiggle of her chest.

He ripped the top of her shirt open with one good yank, a few buttons dropping to the floor. Anthea arched into the touch and brought a heel around his hip to draw him in. Sebastian attacked her scarred neck with lips and tongue, tracing the makings of the muscles of her throat. She made small purrs of pleasure in the form of moans and 'ohs'. He followed down her chest, kissing between her breast and scratching the soft skin there with his facial stubble.

Anthea pressed a hand into his blond hair, stroking the back of his head with alternating force. Sebastian jerked her skirt up around her hips, pawing at her inner thighs with calloused fingers. He ran a thumb over her slit and grasped at the frilly edge of her panties.

"Wait," she instructed suddenly. Sebastian debated not doing that, but he paused what he was doing. "Weapons. In the safe." That was a good idea, actually. That was why he liked her. He nodded curtly in approval. They watched one another carefully as they disarmed. Anthea withdrew her new gun from the holster over her shoulder and dropped the ammunition. Sebastian removed his from the waistband of his pants, mimicking her motion. She handed him her gun with a watchful look and he hurried placed them in the safe. His blades went next and only once he'd put them away did Anthea toss him her's.

Sebastian closed the safe and spun the lock. He approached her again and she grabbed him by the shirt.

"Anything else?" he grunted, running his hands up her thighs and nipping at her throat with his teeth.

"No. Continue," she assured him, bringing her painted nails over his shoulder.

"Gladly," Sebastian huffed and wrapped his mouth around the exposed skin around her breast. He yanked one cup of her bra back, unveiling more of her skin. He flickered a rough finger over the pink bud of flesh and it stiffened under the assault. She arched into him, moaning airily and throwing her head back. It was a wonderful noise. He brought smokey lips around her sensitive bud of flesh and lavished it with his tongue.

"Oh," Anthea purred. "Mr. Moran." He slipped his hands under the skirt crumpled around her waist, grabbing a hold of her panties. She helpfully lifted her hips to assist him in shimmying them off. Sebastian tossed them aside without a care and popped open the rest of the buttons on her shirt. He ran a finger over her wet clit and watched her shudder with pleasure. Supple thighs parted further, arching into his touch.

Sebastian crouched between the little assistant's knees, slowly sliding a pair of fingers between the pink lips. It might have been a while since he had been with a woman, but that didn't mean he had forgotten how. He withdrew his fingers and buried his face between her legs. He dipped his tongue along the crease.

"Oh!" Her ankles came together on his back, pulling him in tight and assuring him she loved it. Anthea pressed a hand into his hair, but it wasn't dominate like he was used to. He rolled his tongue over her sensitive clit and she gripped a handful of the blond hair. Sebastian placed a hand on both of her hips, steadying himself on the bartop and making as much contact with her as he could. He plunged his tongue into the moist cavern, working the muscle in and out of her needy cunt.

Anthea leaned back, stomach curved out and hips thrust forward. She stroked the back of his head persuasively. Her toes curled fiercely as Sebastian skillfully worked his tongue against the sensitive, velvet walls. He lavished her in pleasure, making sure his sexy woman was well taken care of. As expected, she was quiet, only gasping and moaning between her teeth that grasped at her painted red lips.

Sebastian unzipped her skirt, pulling it off over her lovely legs and abandoning it as well. He returned sensual kisses to her cleavage as they worked her shirt off, allowing it to fall away carelessly. He began to work on unstrapping her holster and Anthea made short work of his trouser button and zipper. He could unbuckled her holster, disarm a gun, prepare bombs, and yet, he still had no idea how a bra latch worked. Sebastian stupidly fumbled with it and theorized that they were made to make men look like fools. Anthea was certainly amused by his attempts.

She placed a hand over his, opting to do it herself. Sebastian tugged his shirt off over his head by the collar, showing off his scarred chest and cracked tattoos. The difference between them was obvious. Anthea had a few little scars from their fight, but they were healing easily and would most likely not leave any marks. Besides from a few detail beauty marks, her skin was flawless and well taken care of. Sebastian, on the other hand, was marked up with new and old scars all the same, plus an assortment of tattoos he had collected over the years. They shared matching stitches, however.

Anthea's side was bandaged up lightly, but he knew she was probably sewn up something fierce. He'd aimed for where she'd been shot before, after all. He sported a neat little stitch line above his hip bone, finding it unnecessary to cover it. She drew a finger over it gently.

"I'll clean that for you later," she murmured, dipping her hand into his pants and gently brought her fingers over the stiff member. Sebastian groaned welcomingly. He couldn't find anything wrong with that. She grasped his bottom lip with her teeth, scraping it ever so seductively. He could still taste coffee and tobacco on her lips.

Anthea pressed a foot into his chest and nudged him away. She turned on the bar top and gracefully hopped down. She motioned him with a single finger, the natural flow of her walk swishing her hips in the best way. She laid herself on the luxurious bed and Sebastian couldn't prevent the smirk that curled his face. He stalked towards the bed, coming at her like a predator after a predator. The bed shifted as he kneel on the edge and she trailed a hand up the inside of his thigh and over the bulge in his pants.

Sebastian threw a knee over her thin waist, pinning her loosely under him. Her long hair lay disheveled on the bed and she arched her chest towards him. He cupped her perk breast in both hands, taking note to exactly how much smaller she was. He could almost wrap his hands around her ribs completely. Anthea grabbed his wrist and followed along to his elbows, bringing herself up to kiss him again. She smirked. He was positive there was lipstick all over his mouth. He was okay with that.

Anthea shifted out from under him, tucking her hair behind her ear and moved onto her knees. Her brown eyes locked onto his as she dipped her hands back into his trousers. She pulled his hard prick out of his pants, careful with her nails, and gladly reciprocate his work. Soft lips touched the head and she swirled her tongue around the slit. He groaned, tangling his hand in her dark hair to give himself a handle. He didn't try to guide her, however. He wouldn't push her against her will lest she decided to use her teeth.

Her lipstick left red marks around his cock, practically marking her progress. Sebastian wasn't aware he could be any more aroused. She took him down as far as she could manage, pressing her tongue firmly against the underside. He pulled her off and she popped her red lips. He hurried to fetch a condom from his pocket, tearing it open with his teeth and sliding the brightly colored rubber over his lipstick painted dick. Anthea bit her lip anxiously.

Sebastian brought her hips up, stuffing a pillow under her back in an after thought, and grasped her pale legs. He sheathed himself completely, grunting at the tightness that met him. Anthea gasped contently, hooking her legs around him firmly, catching in his trousers but it didn't bother either of them. The sniper grasped the bed board of the bed, keeping himself up and getting an anchor. He ground against her slowly, relishing in her beautiful, feminine noises and graceful movements. She gripped the pillow about her head and her stomach flexed deliciously.

He enjoyed himself. She enjoyed herself. It could have been hours for all Sebastian knew and morning still came too soon. He was covered in lipstick when he awoke in the morning and he took a moment to clean himself off in the bathroom. Anthea lay tucked into the sheet neatly, the thin blanket wrapped around her waist and keeping her amazing breasts out in the open. She slept soundly until he started opening the safe. Brown eyes watched him calmly and her satisfied smile told him this would surely happen again.

"Boss'll be lookin' for me," Sebastian grunted, not daring to check his phone just yet.

"Good luck," Anthea answered calmly. He snorted. He was going to need it. Jim was still pissed with him. Sebastian watched her with a lingering look as he headed for the door. It was very tempting to blow Jim off and return to the bed for just a little bit more, and her body wasn't helping, but in the end, he left with light steps.

He doubted there would be a relationship, but there was something. Sebastian was okay with that something. Before he left the hotel, he paused by the receptionist and had a delicate, convincing chat with her. It may or may not have involved some threatening.

Sebastian left with a smirk.

He knew Anthea's name.


End file.
